"A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked enforcement of a new rule to limit silica dust exposure for coal and other miners.
The rule, from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), was imposed last year in response to an epidemic of severe black lung disease among coal miners. Reporting by NPR, Public Health Watch, and Louisville Public Media documented more than 4,000 cases of advanced black lung that had been previously unreported.
The disease is incurable and fatal, and the severe form is connected to overexposure to toxic silica dust during coal mining, as well as rapid progression of disease and onset among younger miners.
The new rule cut in half the amount of silica dust permitted around coal and other miners during an eight-hour shift. The rule also imposed tougher enforcement measures and required regular testing of miners for lung disease."
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